


Holding Fast to Infinity

by mobius_stripper



Series: All I Have [6]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 08:50:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18753043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mobius_stripper/pseuds/mobius_stripper
Summary: No coward soul is mineNo trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphereI see Heaven's glories shineAnd faith shines equal arming me from fearPepper's story from Infinity War to Endgame.





	1. Infinity War

**Author's Note:**

> No Coward Soul is Mine  
> \- Emily Bronte

Ten years ago, Stephen Strange was on her list.  As a neurosurgeon, she was aware that Tony’s condition wasn’t exactly in his wheelhouse, but as an arrogant genius who craved challenge and recognition... well Tony being Tony, he never asked and she never made the call.  

Pepper being Pepper though, she recognizes Dr. Strange immediately.  Of course, she’s still mentally re-balancing ‘Tony wants a kid’ and ‘he remembers her uncle’s name but still ordered strawberry yogurt last week’.  Then Bruce is there. And really she should be used to this by now, but everything is going to hell in a handbasket and all she can think is dammit, Tony was right and there are never going to be just shirts in his closet.   _Their_ closet.  Because marriage. Eventually.  Probably.

 

Physically, Pepper Potts (eventually probably _maybe_ Stark), is waiting for her eggs florentine and bottomless mimosas.  Mentally, Pepper Potts (it’s 2019, she doesn’t _have_ to take his name but maybe for their kid’s sake, the nuclear family model might be… oh God) is taking stock.  Stephen Strange’s first call was Tony. Which means all _Tony_ has for back-up right now is at best Rhodey and Spiderboy and Bruce.  Maybe the witch doctor can find Steven Rogers so maybe…

The screaming started so far away she never knew when exactly it happened, but she notices it now, as well as the giant ring ruining the skyline.

-

When the spaceship _leaves_ she actually believes for two seconds that’s the end of that.  But Tony doesn’t come find her so of course she calls him. And of course, when he tells her he’s on a goddamn _spaceship,_ currently leaving the planet, she throws a perfectly reasonable tantrum.  Then the Friday on her phone loses the Friday in his suit. The ice stabbing her in the heart should be a familiar feeling by now.

 

The worst part isn’t even that.  The worst is that all Virginia Potts can do after watching Tony Stark fly off into space (again) is give the go-ahead to send Veronica to Wakanda.  All the suits he destroyed for her. The Iron Legion. None of that went with him. None of that can help the Avengers now. She hasn’t been inside the armor in years and unlike Bruce, she isn’t brave enough to try.  

Tony Stark once called her the most capable person he knew.  She wishes so hard she could be that without him.

-

After… the thing, after what’s left of the Avengers piece together what’s left of everything, after two days of talking and crying and silence, Pepper’s body forces her to go to sleep.  

She dreams.  She wakes up.  She knows she has to pee.  And she knows Tony is alive.  


	2. Endgame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though earth and moon were gone  
> And suns and universes ceased to be  
> And Thou wert left alone  
> Every Existence would exist in thee

Three weeks isn’t even close to three months of waiting for Tony to come back.  This is the last time though. He promised no more surprises. There’s another very expensive promise on her finger bound in gold-titanium.  He knows better than to miss that one.

 

The wedding of Pepper Potts and Tony Stark was merely a matter of paperwork since half of the event staff was… unavailable.  The offspring of Pepper Potts and Tony Stark was a bit trickier. Between their ages, general high-stress lifestyle and multiple previous life-threatening circumstances (including outer space), Morgan Stark is a miracle of hard work and perseverance. Not that either of them mind.

 

Tony’s lingering daddy issues don’t last more than a few minutes after cleaning the blood off Morgan’s perfect little face.  Pepper is mildly terrified that she is going to screw up two generations of Starks. Tony has enough faith for the both of them.  And an artificial intelligence scanning the baby every second of the day.

 

Dummy gets upgraded with the latest in carseat technology.  All the smartglass surfaces get rounded corners and proximity alarms.  A giant stuffed bunny appears in the driveway. Friday fills the house with Mozart and Tony doesn’t even complain.

 

Tony tinkers.  That never changes, but at least Pepper doesn’t see it as a problem anymore.  Survivor’s guilt maybe. As long as he keeps the sharp/hot/heavy/swallowable pieces out of reach.  Morgan is fascinated (of course). Tony is hopelessly devoted. Not perfect or patient or even particularly parental sometimes (who makes toddler sized welding goggles?!), but the worst that happens is him threatening to put her in a hamster wheel to power the blender.  Pepper tries to herd both of them for non-lab time (Dummy always droops after being relieved of duty) when she feels one or the other of them is getting fractious. It figures that after everything that’s happened to them, maintaining his schedule is the only constant in her life.

-

Morgan’s first word is ‘Dummy’.  Tony declares he will put her in a basket and float her down the river.  Dummy too. After buying some crocodiles. Morgan starts talking at a perfectly normal time for a toddler (a couple months before she turns two).  Everyone has some quip about her father never learning how to shut up. It’s not clear yet how similar she might be to her father or grandfather in other aspects.  

Despite the… thing, the Avengers are still popular enough to keep churning out merchandise.  Morgan’s favorite is Iron Man. Which is good because Pepper is not sure Tony Stark’s ego could handle it otherwise.  That has nothing to do with Pepper telling Tony that she needs to learn how to use a suit. He doesn’t ask ‘why’, she doesn’t list all the ‘what-ifs’.

 -

Rhodey brings things, because he’s a good godfather.  He brings news sometimes but mostly not, because he’s a good friend.  Not that Tony couldn’t find out which regimes are destabilizing on his own time, but for both of them, this lake is a refuge away from that reality.  Up until Morgan is old enough to start playing ‘Avengers save the zoo/dream house/bunny commune’. Then it’s ‘War Machine doesn’t need Hulk’s help carrying the elephant, sweetie, that armor is rated to 65 metric tons at cruising altitude’ and ‘Iron Man’s lasers could make a moat to keep the unicorns out. Well, I have nanite tech. Yes, that does so beat rainbow magic’.  Happy is still the best at horsey though. And tea parties. Pepper doesn’t think any other little girl has period-correct high tea, imaginary or not.  


Wednesdays are princess day.  Pepper is perfectly happy to pull on one of _her_ princess dresses to sit on the floor next to the bunny in a tiara.  Daddy’s favorite is the shiny blue one, even though it doesn’t fit as well as it did ten years ago.  Morgan totters around, three tutus piled on top of each other, serving pretend-cake (pretend-smoothies if you’re Tony).  Once a month, Happy brings real-cake and tiny sandwiches. Sometimes War Machine touches down with pizza. Or cheeseburgers.  Because he needs junkfood bribery to maintain ‘favorite uncle’ status.

 -

Sometimes the nightmares don’t even wake her.  Mostly though, Tony starts shaking and pulls the covers off her.  She tries to catch him before he progresses past the moaning, but she’s pretty sure he’s woken Morgan up four times since she got her own room.  In the dark it’s easier for him to talk about it. Like if he whispers it when the sun is down, it won’t shadow his days with their daughter. Peter.  Strange. Space. _Thanos._  Steve.  Ultron. Afghanistan.  All of it needs to come out before it touches Morgan the way Howard’s various war traumas shaped Tony’s many childhood traumas.

That’s why, when Steve rolls up to their house and offers him a chance (a one in fourteen million, six hundred and five chance?), she’s scared.  Scared, but not surprised. There’s a reason Strange bargained for Tony’s life and Pepper knows time is running out.

  
There’s twelve percent of a moment, sitting on that couch, where Pepper is going agree Tony should throw it all in the lake.  She doesn’t, because _this_ is the job he was always meant to do.  


	3. Checkmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is not room for Death  
> Nor atom that his might could render void  
> Since thou art Being and Breath  
> And what thou art may never be destroyed.

Daddy gives her a kiss goodbye because he has to go do Iron Man stuff.  It kind of ruins princess day since now Mommy doesn’t feel like being a princess either.  Morgan tries to make it better by bringing the blue dress out of the closet. When that doesn’t work, she gets the helmet out of the garage because Iron Man is better than princesses and maybe this will help.

-

Pepper looks at the helmet, laying on the matching blue gown, and it’s some kind of ‘ghost of Christmas future’ moment that makes her violently nauseated.

 

Of course Tony picks that moment to call and ask her to take Natasha’s place coordinating since Widow is needed for the - and she can hear the pain in his voice over the words - ‘time heist’.  “If this works, and I’ve done the math on it, so it _should_ work, there’s going to be a lot of very confused people and you’re…”

“The most capable and qualified person you know.  I know.”

“We’re messing around with some powerful - but uh…completely safe energy.  Maybe a little gamma radiation… We’re gonna have to take the compound mostly offline.  Friday will split everything between the home-lab and Wakanda. Barton did the test run and he’s - well he’s not fine emotionally or really… in all the ways that matter at this particular moment, he’s fine.”

“Great.  I’ll connect with General Okoye.  Good luck, Tony.”

“Don’t even need it, Pep.  It’ll be a piece of cake.”

-

It’s a literal shitshow is what it is.  Even with Happy there to cover her ears, Morgan may have learned a bad word while Mommy is fielding governments and important people who still treat her like Tony Stark’s secretary.  She definitely learns two more when Friday reports a fucking deathship appearing in Avengers airspace. Happy quickly decides it’s outside time now.

Okoye, who has gone through this and worse without losing a beat, says she will find the king and give the order to mobilize.  They have enough crafts to move four hundred warriors but it will still take hours to get to New York…

Stephen Strange chooses that exact moment to fizzle into existence (setting off Friday’s dimensional breach alarm) and announce “Ladies.  Perhaps I can assist.”

Spiderman pops his head up from the other side of the sparking portal.  “Hi Miss Potts! Oh wow, nice house-”

Strange shoos him away.  “Reinforcements. We need more.  Thanos is back in a bad way. Wong is organizing the other Masters, I’m bringing them,” Strange gestures at the alien landscape behind himself, “and anyone else you can think of.”

“Wakanda will fight.”  Okoye doesn’t hesitate.

“I’m going too.”  Pepper casts a longing look at the playhouse.  “I just need five minutes to get ready.”

-

She can see Tony as the dust clears, the gems gleaming on his hand.  Even as he falls, she’s already moving toward him. There’s something poetic about his last vision being her in a suit.  Or just tragically ironic.

She does anything and everything Tony Stark requires.  

So she knows exactly what to say to him as the light fades.


End file.
